The present invention relates to a device for contacting, in particular, elongated, illustratively substantially cylindrical bodies such as cables or pipes or tubes, where hereafter the word xe2x80x9cpipexe2x80x9d also includes the meaning of xe2x80x9ctubexe2x80x9d.
Such devices are used for instance to connect a metallic pipe or a bared outer conductor of a coaxial cable to a grounding cable.
A device of this species is known from the European patent document 0,744,788 A1 and comprises therein a base structure coming to rest against a body to be contacted and a contact element to implement an electrically conducting connection with this body to be connected, this contact element being affixed to a side of the base structure which in the assembly position will face the body to be contacted. In the known device, the base structure comprises a band-shaped metal clamp imbedded in an elastic material, a contacting surface being left free to accommodate the contact element at the side which in the assembly position faces the body to be contacted. The contact element of the known device is a band of copper braid and is manually affixed using adhesive or is spot-welded to the contact surface of the base structure. Seen in topview, the contact element is substantially rectangular and, in the desired affixation position, its longitudinal edges essentially run parallel to adjacent edges of the base structure.
The known device incurs the drawback that the contact element may slip during its affixation and shall then be in a position on the base structure in which its longitudinal edges do not run parallel, but undesirably obliquely to the edges of the base structure and that as a result the contact element projects laterally from the base structure. When assembling the device of the state of the art, the required contact between the contact element and the body to be contacted then might not be implementable as desired. In such a case the contact element must be loosened from the base structure and then be reaffixed to it in the desired position. Such refinishing work takes time and money.
The objective of the invention is to create a device which shall be free of the drawback of the known device, namely which facilitates affixing the contact element in the desired affixation position to the base structure.
The basic concept of the invention is to provide adjusting means allowing to adjust the position of the contact element relative to edges of the base structure. In this manner slipping and projection of the contact element beyond the edge of the base structure are reliable averted when affixing this contact element to the base structure at manufacture of the device of the invention. Consequently manufacture is facilitated and time consuming and hence expensive corrective work is saved.
The device of the invention is rugged in design and can be manufactured in simple and economical manner. Moreover it is widely applicable.
The adjusting means may be designed in versatile manner. Illustratively the adjusting means may be optical, for instance being markings on the base structure. Appropriately however they shall be fitted with at least one rest edge or at least one rest surface slanting to a retaining surface at which the contact element is affixed to the base structure in its affixation mode. The rest edge or rest surface allow adjusting the contact element in its position relative to the edges of the base structure and hence its affixation in the desired affixation position is made easier.
In principle it suffices that the adjusting means be fitted with merely one rest edge or rest surface and that therefore the contact element shall be resting only over a segment of its edge against the rest edge or rest surface. However, in an advantageous further implementation, at least two mutually spaced rest edges or rest surfaces are provided to support the contact element at mutually spaced zones of its edge. As regards a contact element which is substantially rectangular in topview for instance, two mutually substantially parallel and spaced rest edges may be used, the contact element in the affixation position resting opposite zones of its edge against a rest edge in each case. Moreover rest edges subtending an angle between them also may be used, for instance at a right angle. In that case the contact element will rest by adjoining zones of its edge against the rest edges. Again four rest edges may be used which support the contact element at opposite zones of its edge.
In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, the adjusting means are centering means to center the contact element between opposite edges of the base structure. In this manner the contact element will be centered between the base-structure edges and the adjustment of contact-element position is simplified further.
In another variant of the above embodiment, the centering means are fitted with mutually spaced rest edges running substantially parallel to each other and to adjacent edges of the base structure. In this variant, a contact element which is essentially rectangular when seen in topview is held in place parallel to the base-structure edges and is centered thereby.
In another embodiment, the centering means are fitted with mutually spaced and relatively slanted rest surfaces extending in the longitudinal as well as the circumferential direction of the base structure and supporting the affixation element when in the affixation position. Centering of the contact element is achieved in the desired manner also in this embodiment.
In a variant of the above embodiment, the rest surfaces slant away from each other. In this manner the rest surfaces form a trough to receive the contact element. However the rest surfaces also may slant toward each other in the manner of another variant. In this latter variant, the rest surfaces for instance may span mutually opposite edges of the contact element.
The shape, size and number of rest edges or surfaces can be selected within wide limits. Appropriately the, or each, rest edge or surface is formed at a protrusion, in particular a stud or a rib formed at the base structure. This variant is simple and economical.
In principle however the, or each, stud or rib may be constituted by a separate element connected to the base structure. In an advantageous variant, however, the base structure is partly made of an elastic material, preferably an elastomer into which is integrated the, or each. stud or the, or each, rib. The, or each, stud or the, or each, rib is therefore integral with a part of the base structure. This feature simplifies the manufacture of the device of the invention. If, in this variant, two mutually spaced rest edges are provided, then, upon an appropriate selection of the spacing between the rest edges of the contact element, this contact element can be clamped between the elastically deforming rest edges and be elastically held in place. As a result additional affixation means to hold the contact element, for instance adhesive or welding, no longer are required.
In another embodiment, the base structure is fitted with a recess of which the edge(s) constitute(s) the, or each, rest edge or of which the slope(s) constitute(s) the, or each, rest surface. This embodiment also assures accurate adjusting of the contact element. Moreover this embodiment allows simple and economical manufacture.
In principle it is enough that the contact element rest by a segment of its edge against the rest edges or surfaces. In an especially advantageous variant of the invention, the contour of the recess substantially corresponds to that of the contact element in such manner that the contact element shall be snugly held in the recess. In this variant, the contact element is precluded in especially reliable manner from slipping.
The material of the base structure can be selected within wide limits. The base structure also may be composed of several materials. In one embodiment, the base structure comprises a band-shaped metal part. Dimensional stability of the base structure is enhanced by the band-shaped metal part. As regards the above embodiment, the recess may be formed at the side of the metal part facing the body to be contacted when in the assembly position. The metal part illustratively may be made of sheetmetal and consequently the recess can be merely embossed, making manufacture even simpler.
In a variant of the above embodiment, the recess is in the form of a bead or a recessed area. Such recesses can be embossed by embossing tools into the metal part of the base structure in arbitrary shapes and sizes.
In principle it is enough that the base structure merely consist of the band-shaped metal part. However, in a variant of the embodiment comprising the elastic part, the metal part is coated at least partly with the elastic material, in particular on its side which in the assembled position will face the body to be contacted, or that the metal part be imbedded in the elastic material, a contact region being left free in the side of the metal part which in the assembly position faces the body to be contacted. The elastic material may be used make the device of the invention more optically pleasing or to protect the metal part against ambient factors or to electrically insulate the metal part.
The shape and size of the contact element can be selected within wide limits. Appropriately the contact element is formed by a flat stranded wire or a flat band or a braided band made of metal. Such contact elements are manufactured easily and economically.
The shape and size of the base structure may be selected within wide limits. Illustratively the base structure may be plate to contact a planar body or it may be curved or bent to contact a curved or bent body.
A particularly advantageous embodiment to contact pipes or cables of arbitrary cross-sectional contours provides a base structure to enclose, when in the assembly position, especially in annular or bush-like manner, the body to be contacted. In this embodiment the base structure is reliably held against the body to be contacted.
In principle the base body may be rigid. However appropriately it will be made flexible to facilitate assembly.
The base structure may be in several segments. Illustratively a device designed to contact a pipe may consist of several segments, for instance two semi-circular segments, which are consecutive along the circumference of the pipe to be contacted. Appropriately however the base structure will be integral and open in the circumferential direction and be fitted at its free ends with brackets which can be joined to each other in the assembly position, preferably using screws or a clamp. Because of the integral design of the base structure of this embodiment, assembly of the device of the invention is simple.
In another variant of the invention, the base body is in the form of a strap that can be tightened around the body to be contacted. This feature again facilitates assembly.
As regards embodiments comprising several studs or ribs fitted with rest edges or surfaces, it is enough, basically, that all studs or ribs run from one edge of the base structure toward the other. In an advantageous variant, however, at least one stud or rib each time shall run from one edge toward the other in the region of two mutually opposite edges and in such manner that in the affixation position, the contact element shall rest by means of two opposite zones of its edge against the studs or ribs. The contact element is centered between the studs or ribs in this variant.
In another variant of the embodiments of the invention using studs or ribs, the studs or ribs consecutive in the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the base structure are provided on different lines running in the longitudinal direction of the base structure or on different lines running in the circumferential direction of the base structure respectively. In this variant, the studs or ribs consecutive in the longitudinal or circumferential directions of the base structure hold the contact element at opposite zones of its edge to achieve centering thereby.
In a variant of the above embodiment, at least two studs or ribs are mounted along a line transverse to the longitudinal direction of the base structure or on a line running in the axial direction respectively. In this embodiment the contact element rests by zones of its edges which are transverse to its longitudinal direction against the studs or ribs to further improve centering.
In an unusually advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least two studs or ribs supporting the contact element in the assembly position are fitted with undercuts in such manner that rest surfaces are formed which slant towards each other and by which, in the affixation position, the studs or ribs overlap mutually opposite edge zones of the contact element. In this embodiment the contact element is held in geometrically locking manner by the studs"" or ribs"" rest surfaces and consequently additional retaining means such as adhesive are not needed. This feature simplifies manufacture and lowers costs.
Lastly as regards the embodiments relating to a metal part, a variant provides fitting the metal part with at least one aperture, preferably on each side of the contact element to pass the elastic material in such manner that this elastic material on the side of the metal part facing the metal part is joined to the elastic material on the side of the metal part away from the contact element. In this manner the elastic material on the side of the metal part facing the contact element is precluded from detaching from this metal part. Such detachment might degrade the electrical contact between the contact element and the metal part if this contact element were solely held by the elastic material at the metal part